I hate snakes. OK, well I don’t really hate any living thing, but snakes freak me out. That said, I’ve had my share of close encounters with them in making pictures – even getting brave enough to stand over a mojave green rattlesnake once with my 100mm macro on a tripod to photograph it’s beautiful pattern!

The snake charmers in Marrakech, Morocco put on a performance using cobras, and whatever other snakes they use – I don’t really want to know! The wrap them around their necks, put them close to their faces, and do weird things. I photographed that too, as you can see by this one picture, but when it was all done, and the guy was just holding the snake at his side like it was a rope, I saw a picture I wanted – the simple scene, uncluttered from the square’s busy background – only his jelaba, hand and the snake. When the snake saw me – it stared at me – which sort of gave me the willies but I persevered. Somehow, the camera/lens serve as a barrier to the reality of the scene – when I’m looking through the lens. I momentarily forget my fears.

 

Snake charmer and snake, Morocco